Wildflowers
by Steph-Schell
Summary: Charlie just wanted to pick some flowers. She didn't mean to upset every one. (Part of the Suffer the Children series)


Tom cursed. He couldn't' believe he had let Charlie slip away like that. If the general ever found out he'd been so careless there would be no way to wiggle out this time. It didn't' help his case that Rachel Matheson had slipped her guard again. She had been seen near this area. "Charlie!" he called. "Charlie, where are you?"

There was no answer and Tom began to feel ill. Matheson and Monroe had been known to threaten people with torture if Charlie and Danny got so much as a paper cut. Tom was certainly looking at the execution block if he didn't find Charlie soon. "Charlie, come out!"

Tom was just about to call in reinforcements when he heard a bright voice behind him. "Captain! Captain!"

Tom turned to see Charlie running up in a pale lavender dress with a bunch of flowers in her hand and a giant grin on her face. "Where have you been?!" he demanded.

Charlie stopped dead as the color drained from her face. "Over there," she whispered, pointing with her flowers. "I…I…"

"You were what?" Tom snapped. Charlie began trembling. "Damn it, Charlie! You know you're not supposed to wander off! You could have been hurt or captured or any number of things! No one knew where you were! Do you have any idea what you put us through?!"

"I'm sorry," she whispered so quietly he had to strain to hear it.

"You're going to sorry! You can't just run off like that! If your uncle knew about this…" Tom lifted a hand to run it over his head. But as his arm went up, he watched Charlie drop to the ground in a quivering heap. His anger was gone as quick as it had come. "Charlie?" he called cautiously.

"Please don't hit me," she begged. "I'll be so good. I won't ever leave my rooms ever again. I can be a really good girl, just don't hit me. I'm a good girl, I swear. Don't hit me."

"Charlie, I'm not going to hit you," Tom said quietly. Charlie curled into a tight ball. "Honey, relax, just…just…Julia!"

Julia came running as fast as she could. "Did you find her?"

Tom gestured to the sobbing girl on the ground helplessly. "She won't stop."

"Men are useless," Julia sighed. "Go keep your eyes on Danny." As her husband moved off, Julia settled next to Charlie. "Honey, it's alright. There's no need to cry." Charlie continued to whimper. That worried Julia the most. The cries were soft, like she was trying to hide them. "Sweetheart, tell me what's wrong."

"I didn't mean to go missing," Charlie sobbed quietly. "Don't let him hit me. Don't make me go upstairs."

Julia swallowed the revulsion that always came when one of the siblings talked about upstairs. "There is no going upstairs here, Charlie. You know that. We don't send people upstairs in Philly. Nor do we hit them when we're upset. Why would you think that?"

"He yelled at me because I'm such a bad girl. I'm always a bad girl."

Julia clucked her tongue. "Charlie, he was just worried about you. We all were." She reached out to stroke Charlie's hair. "He was more upset at himself than you, sweetie."

Charlie violently shook her head. "I'm a bad girl. I'm always a bad girl but I'll be better next time."

It wasn't the first time Julia had wanted to hurt the people that had programmed Charlie to think such things. She wondered if the urge would ever fade. But there were more important things to think of right now. "That's not at all true, Charlie. He was angry at himself for not keeping an eye on you." Julia leaned down to kiss Charlie's head. "Please don't cry, honey. You'll make him feel worse." Charlie tried to control her tears but it didn't' seem to be working. "Charlie, we love you. You know that. No one here would ever, ever hurt you like that. We care about you and Danny too much. Now let me see those pretty blue eyes."

Charlie sniffled as she looked up. "My dress is stained," she whimpered.

Julia gave her the sweetest smile she had. "Honey, we've told you, that's fine. We'll just run it through the wash. The maids will have those stains out before you know it." Julia glanced around and saw Rachel Matheson coming their way. She quickly pulled Charlie into her arms so the girl wouldn't notice her mother and start a fresh round of sobbing. "Baby, mine/Don't you cry," she sang. "Baby, mine/dry your eyes/Rest your head close to my heart/Never to part/ Dear baby of mine.'"

Charlie burrowed closer but her sobs lessened. "I'm sorry," she continued whispering.

"Little one, when you play/Don't you mind/What they say/Let those eyes sparkle and shine/Never a tear/Dear baby of mine."

Charlie had finally stopped apologizing. But she was still crying.

"From your head/to your toes/you're so sweet/goodness knows/You are so precious to me/cute as can be/Dear baby of mine."

Charlie swallowed. "You really love me?" she asked, not looking up.

"Of course I do. We all love you, Charlie. Me and Maggie and Nora and M—Miles and M—Bass. All of us."

Charlie looked up at Julia. "I am very sorry," she said.

"I know," Julia smiled. "Those are very pretty flowers, by the way."

Charlie loosened her grip on them and looked at them. "I picked them for you. But they broke."

Julia gently took the large batch of wildflowers. "Only a few. They're very lovely. Thank you so much."

Charlie hugged the other woman. "I love you, Mama Julia."

"I love you too, Charlie. Just as if you were my own." Julia kissed her hair. "Now let's get you back on your feet."

Charlie allowed Julia to lift her to her feet. "You can use my bow to tie your flowers if you want," Charlie offered, reaching to the bow in her hair that had been picked out to match her dress.

"Thank you, honey." Julia helped her remove the bow and fluff out her hair before tying it around her flowers. "Corporal!" One of the regular militia guards came running up.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Corporal, take Charlie here back to the house so she can get changed. Anita Faber should be there to look after the children. I'll come inside in a few minutes. I have business to attend to."

"Yes, ma'am."

Julia kissed Charlie's forehead. "You're such a good girl, Charlie. Just remember to say in eyesight next time."

"I will," Charlie nodded.

"That's my girl. Off you go now." Julia smiled as Charlie headed off with the corporal. Then she turned to Rachel who was still standing by the trees. "Lost something, Mrs. Matheson?" she asked, casually strolling towards the other woman.

"That's my daughter you're playing mother to," Rachel informed her.

"Well someone has to. You scare her too much."

"You're a monster."{

"Really?" Julia cocked her head. "Because when I'm soothing Charlie and Danny's nightmares, your name is the one that comes up."

Rachel raised her arm but before she could strike Julia, a set of Militia guards appeared and began to bind her in chains again. "Are you hurt ma'am?" one of them asked.

"Just fine," Julia smiled. She paused to smell the flowers Charlie had picked for her. "Best run along, Rachel. I'll tell the President and the General you said hello."

Julia made her way back to the house with the curses of Rachel ringing in her ears. She found Tom reading in the library while Charlie and Danny colored in the sunroom. "Hello, beautiful," Tom greeted.

Julia leaned down to kiss him. "Hello to you too. You're in a good mood."

"Well, better than I was earlier. Charlie seems happier too. And where did you get all those?"

Julia looked at her flowers. "Pretty, aren't they? Charlie was picking them for me when she ran off." She turned to a hovering maid. "Put these in water, please."

"Yes ma'am."

Julia leaned down to kiss her husband once more. "That reminds me. I'll be right back." She made her way to the sunroom where Anita sewed while Danny and Charlie colored pictures on the floor. "You two look like you're having fun," she smiled.

"We are," Danny nodded. He held up his picture. "It's me, Charlie, Unca Mi and Archie."

"Lovely," Julia complimented. "What about you, Charlie? What are you drawing?"

"Me and Unca Fishy. We're riding horses."

Julia smiled at the childish scrawls of color. "Very nice. I'm sure your uncles will love it. Can you come with me for just a minute?"

"Alright. Don't touch my crayons, Danny."

Julia and Anita shared a brief smile. Maybe the children were really getting better if they could make even slightly selfish statements like that. Julia led the girl the library where Tom greeted them with a smile. "That's a very lovely dress, Charlie."

Charlie fingered the sky blue tulle of her skirt. "Thank you," she murmured.

"Charlie, don't you have something to say?" Julia prompted.

Charlie swallowed. "I'm sorry I went missing earlier. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Apology accepted," Tom smiled. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you. That was very wrong of me. But I was worried when I couldn't find you. Do you accept my apology?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Good girl. Can I get a hug?"

Charlie hugged him tight. "I'm very sorry," she said again.

"I know," Tom murmured. "I am too."

Charlie was going to reply when new voices rang out. "Where are my niece and nephew?"

"Charlie? Danny? Where are you guys?"

"Unca Mi! Unca Fishy!" Charlie squealed. She bolted into the entrance way to hug them. "You have to come with me. Danny and I were drawing you pictures."

Bass took Charlie's hand. "I can't wait to see all of them."

"This should be interesting," Miles agreed.


End file.
